Mayan Math

Okay, so I'm not sure how much you gals know about the Maya, but the 7th grade social studies curriculum is covering their history right now. Personally, I find it dry and absurd...mainly because we spent so much time covering their mythical view on how creation came to be, and it was...well...disturbing when you know what the true story is. Well, yesterday the teacher decided to introduce Mayan mathematics. And let me just tell you, I was at a loss to understand. Our mathematical system is based on 10's...there's is on 20's. We write numbers left to right...they wrote their numbers bottom to top (and with dots and lines and shell-looking things). It was actually becoming very frustrating to me that I couldn't figure it out (even after having it explained to me). And it was then that I began to understand what the kids I work with must feel every day of their lives. How unbelievably hard it must be for them to always feel a few steps behind. I found myself understanding why they shut down, say things like, "This is boring", and refuse to pick their heads back up. In fact, I found myself trying those same "coping skills". I'm so thankful to have had that experience, to better be able to empathize with the kids I work with. And it was also very revealing of this ugly quality of mine: if I don't know how to do something well, I'd rather not do it at all. What a poor way to live! How could I ever expect to be an expert in everything?


I decided today to humble myself and ask Chris (the kid I work with all day) if he could show me how to do the Mayan math (he understood how to do it right off the bat yesterday!). He patiently taught me, and low-and-behold, I now understand! Perseverance. It's a tough thing for me, yet something God has been teaching me a lot of these days. Being a branch that's pruned by the Father certainly doesn't feel pleasant, but I know He's only leading to further fruit in my life. Praise the Lord!